Boat mooring device



Sept. 25, 1962 H. E. cooK 3,055,336

BOAT MooRING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Sept. 25, 1962 Filed Feb. 4, 1959 H. E. COOK BOAT MOORING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. HOWARD E. COOK ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ollice 3,@553h Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,336 BOAT MORENG DEWCE Howard E. Coolr, 8203 Sunnyside Ave., Seattle, Wash. Filed Feb. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 79l,l47 4 Claims. (Cl. Ml-230) The present invention relates to a mooring device particularly designed for use with boats too small to carry a dinghy, and is an improvement over that shown in my copending application Ser. No. 770,516, filed October 29, 1958.

Operators of such smaller boats frequently desire to picnic or camp on shore where there are no docking facilities and Where the cruiser cannot be safely or lconveniently moored for very llong by beaching because of tidal changes, rocks, adverse wave conditions, etc. Yet, without a dinghy, heretofore the operator has not been able to conveniently take the only remaining alternative, and namely anchoring the boat off shore. Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a device whereby such a boat, after being unloaded on the beach, can be pulled out and secured to a buoy anchored olf shore by an operator standing on the beach, and can be readily retrieved from shore without disturbing the buoy and anchor.

As a further object the invention aims to provide such a mooring device which is of simple and economical construction and can be compactly stored.

The invention also aims to provide a mooring device which is not susceptible to fouling.

Still another object is to provide a buoy which also serves as a`reel Ifor the lines used in conjunction with the mooring device.

As a fur-ther object the invention aims to provide such a mooring device by which the moored boat exerts its pull on the buoy independently of any lretrieving line.

Another important object is directed at an arrangement whereby the buoy does not have a tendency to tilt due to pull by the boat through its mooring line.

The invention further aims to provide a mooring device which can be a comfortable seat while not being used for its primary function.

Other and more particu-lar objects and advantages will, with the foregoing, appear and be understood Iin the course of the following `description `and claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of my device illustrating the manner of using the sarne.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device with parts broken away.

FIG. 3 is -a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is la detail view showing the locking device in locked position within the nose of the pulley unit, the locking device being shown in longitudinal vertical section.

FIG. 5 corresponds to FIG. 4 and illustrates the steps of releasing the locking device.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are -top yand bottom views, respectively, of the locking device.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view illustrating my invention as a boat is pulled out to the buoy thereof.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view showing the reel function of the buoy; and

FIG. l() is a perspective view showing the device provided With a seat unit.

Referring to the drawings it is seen that my mooring apparatus includes `a buoy lil of generally ring-like configuration which has a pulley unit lll centrally mounted therein and carrying lan anchor line l2 at its lower end. The buoy is formed from any suitable floatable material such as wood, inflated rubber, cellular plastic, etc., and

preferably has a concave rim so as to be adapted to serve as a reel for a retrieving line 13 passing over the wheel 14 of the pulley lll. This reel effect may be provided as shown by ya hub member l5 which has 'a bushing portion 15a bonded or otherwise secured to the inner face of the buoy proper and projects upwardly to terminate by an outwardly dared portion lSb.

A mounting bar lo having a pair of cross-arms 16a joined at the ends by legs 16h traverses the hollow center of the buoy yand has its legs riveted to the bushing portion 15a. The pulley lll has a pair of oppositely dishcd cheek plates 17 encasing its wheel 14 and these are carried between the `cross-arms loa Iby a center axle bolt 1S. This arrangement permits the pulley unit to swing in its entirety about the bolt f8 as an axis as well `as making the wheel 14 rotatable thereabout. It will be noted that the cheek plates are shaped to collectively provide a forwardly projecting nose Ztl at the top and an eye 19 at the bottom for receiving the pin 22 of a U-shackle 2l. The latter together with a swivel-mounted eye 23 comprises a swivel fitting 24 making connection between the pulley unit le and the anchor line l2. A handle Z5 is provided at lthe -top of the pulley unit for lifting the mooring apparatus `and the two halves of the nose 2li have tapped ears 26 for receiving a screw 27 to complement the cross-arms loa in holding the cheek plates together on the axle 18.

rEhe retrieving line 13 enters the front of the pulley l1 through lan enlarged nostril 35i at the top and a port 4l) 4at the bottom. It is seen that the nostril has `a central expanded portion to provide a rearwardly facing annular shoulder l and then gradually tapers back to its entry size for a short distance from whence it bevels to a short passage 4?.. This passage continues into the cavity of the pulley above the groove of its wheel 14 and is large enough to freely receive the line 13.

-As seen in FIGURE 3, the `function of the nose Ztl `and its nostril 38 is to receive a tubular locking device 43 having a tapered tail for ease of entry into the nostril through a slot 4d in the hub member l5. This slot 44 is slightly wider than the nose Ztl so that the nose can project slightly through the slot and use the lower end thereof as a stop to limit downwardly swinging movement of the pulley unit in the corresponding direction. The tapering of the tail of the locking device 43 is functionally complemented by aring the mouth of the nostril 33. It will be noted that the locking device has a flat-sided cavity 4S extending for the greater par-t of its length and exposed to the ends of the device by front and back bores i6-47, respectively. One end of the retrieving line 13 passes through the back bore 47 and has a terminal knot 43 housed at the rear of the cavity l5 for securing 'the line relative to the locking device. The cavity is exposed at the bottom through most of its length for insertion of the knot 4S and for assembly access to a trigger Sil and its related parts. The trigger is pivotally connected by a pin 5l to the sides of the `locking device and projects upwandly therefrom through a slot 52 into the cavity near the aft end thereof. For actuating the trigger there is provided a pull rod S3 having a pivotal connection 54 therewith at a laterally recessed portion of the trigger. From this connection the pull rod exltends forwardly along the adjoining side wall of the cavity and then jogs at S5 to a laterally centered position within the cavity to present a collar 56. The pull rod then extends forwardly out through the front bore 46 and is threaded to receive an eye tting S7 which has the other end of the retrieving line i3 connected thereto. A compression coil spring 58 is sleeved on the pull rod forwardly of the collar 56 and is seated on the latter and the shoulder 60 presented at the forward end of the cavity. The locking device is completed by an eye 61 which extends laterally from the front end portion thereof to receive a boat line 62.

It should be understood that the distance from the trigger to the tapered rear end of the locking device is purposely made less than the distance between the nose shoulder 41 and the forward end of the passage 42, and that the distance from the front of the nose to the shoulder 41 must be at least correspondingly less than the space between the trigger Si) and the eye 61. The purpose is illustrated by FIGURES 4-5. In the first of these figures the trigger is in locking position under the inlluence of the spring 58, and namely pivoted outwardly behind the shoulder 4l so that the locking device cannot be pulled out of the nostril 38 by a pull on the boat line 62. Continuing to FIGURE 5, the locking device has been pulled by the rear knotted end of the retrieving line 13 to the back of the nostril 38 and for this reason the taper of the tail of the locking device matches that of the rear end portion of the nostril. The trigger is now spaced far enough behind the shoulder 41 to permit the trigger to be swung downwardly from the broken line position in FIG. 5 to the full line retracted position within the contines of the locking device. This retraction is accomplished by pulling the rod 53 forwardly by the upper run of the retrieving line while a rearward pull is maintained on the device by at the same time pulling on the lower run of the retrieving line. It is now possible to withdraw the device from the nostril by continuing the forward pull on the rod 53 and relinquishing the rearward pull.

As before mentioned, the buoy is circumferentially grooved by the hub member to .also serve as a reel. This function is illustrated in FIG. 9 wherein it can be seen that the retrieving line 13 .is wound in doubled relation around the buoy for storage. In the case of my invention an anchor is set in the conventional manner and its `line 12 secured to the eye 23 of the swivel unit 24. The free loop end of the retrieving line 13 is then grasped and the boat driven toward shore. During the travel to the beach the buoy 16 spins about the swivel unit 24 as the retrieving line is played out. After the boat is unloaded, if not already free the locking unit 43 is released from the pulley nose 20 by first pulling on the lower run of the retrieving line 13 from shore to pull the trigger St back from the shoulder 41 (FIG. 4), and then pulling on the upper run and releasing the lower run (FIG. 5). Continued pulling of the upper run brings the locking unit to shore so that the boats line 62 can be hitched to the eye 61. As shown in FIG. 8, the boat can then be pulled out to the Kbuoy by pulling on the lowerrun of the retrieving line 13. The resulting strain on the pulley 11 may cause the buoy to tip slightly but the axle I8 permits the pulley to swing as the upper and lower runs of the retrieving line seek to aline themselves with the anchor line i2. In other words the manual pull on the retrieving line is transferred directly through the pulley unit to the anchor line independently ot the buoy.

Pull on the upper run of the line 13 is continued until the tapered tail of the locking unit enters the nose 20 and the trigger 50 is urged outwardly by the spring 58 to assume the locked position behind the shoulder 41. At this time the retrieving line becomes completely free of strain from the boat. Hence, it is seen that the retrieving line can be considerably lighter than the boat line 62 and can, while the boat is moored, be permitted to sink to the bottom. So that it will not be washed out from shore, the shore end of the line 13 is usually tied to a log or tree, or looped over a driven stake 63 as illustrated in FIG. l.

While the boat is moored to the buoy 1t) the swivel unit 24 permits a free swinging of the boat, as induced by tide or wind changes, aud a corresponding turning of the buoy. At the same time, since pull on the boat line 62 is transferred to the anchor line through the engaged locking unit 43 and pulley unit 11 and the entire device has a low center of gravity, there is no danger of the buoy flipping over and fouling the boat and retrieving lines. To retrieve the boat it is only necessary to release the locking unit 43 by manipulating the runs of the retrieving line 13 as afore-described and then pull in on the upper run. When it is desired to pull up anchor, a simple procedure is for the operator, after going aboard, to pull the boat out to the buoy by use of the retrieving line 13. Then, after releasing the boat line 62, the retrieving line can be easily wound on the buoy 10 in doubled relation as shown in FIG. 9 by merely rotating the buoy in the water either before or after pulling up the anchor. The handle 25 can then be grasped to lift the device into the boat.

It will be noted that the pulley unit does not extend below the bottom of the `buoy and hence my mooring device will sit dat in the boat. If desired it can constitute a seat while stored by placing a seat cushion on the hub member 15 or by providing, as shown in FIG. l0, a special seat unit 64 thereon having a depending skirt portion 65 to enclose the reel and shroud the wound retrieving line.

The advantages of the invention, it is thought, will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of the illustrated preferred embodiment. Minor changes will suggest themselves and may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, wherefore it is my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation to which the employed language admits.

What I claim is:

1. In a boat mooring assembly, a buoy with a central cavity, a pulley operatively carried by said buoy within its said cavity, a locking unit with a spring-loaded trigger, a retrieving line Working on said pulley and having its ends connected to said locking unit, a boat line tting mounted on said locking unit, and means carried by said buoy for receiving said trigger in locking relation, said trigger being releasable from said means by manipulation of said retrieving line opposing the spring loading of said trigger.

2. In a boat mooring assembly, a buoy, a pulley unit operatively mounted in `said buoy, a locking mechanism operatively associated with said pulley unit, a boat mooring line iitting carried by said locking mechanism, and a retrieving line operatively connected to said mechanism for selectively locking and unlocking it, said retrieving line movably passing into said buoy and laround said pulley unit.

3. In a boat mooring assembly, a buoy, a pulley mounting unit in said buoy and having a nostril with an annular stop shoulder, a grooved pulley wheel rotatably mounted on `said unit and having its groove exposed to said nostril, a retrieving line passing through said nostril, working on said wheel, and passing from said buoy, an anchor line swivel connected to the lower end of said unit, and an elongated locking assembly presenting an outwardly-urged spring-loaded trigger arranged to retract `as it enters the nostril and to thereafter automatically spring out into a locking position behind said stop shoulder, a pull rod provided by said locking assembly and operatively connected by its ends to said trigger and to one end of said retrieving line for retracting said trigger responsive to a manipulation of such line, and a boat line connected to said locking unit.

4. In a boat mooring assembly, a rigid tubular member ilared at one of its ends, a buoyant ring lixedly sleeved on said member and spaced from said flared end to define a reel portion between said ring and said flared end, a pulley mounted in said tubular member for turning about an axis transverse to `such member and in which said reel portion has a radial opening therethrough, and a line portion.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Christensen Sept. 5, 1899 Chreitzberg Feb. 13, 1940 6 Ingram Mar. 7, 1950 Mel-Ian Mar. 2l, 1950 Martens Nov. 23, 1954 Westnes Mar. 22, `1955 Distefano July 5, 1955 Betts Sept. 6, 1955 Sneed Dec. 25, 1956 Pfankuch et al. July 29, 1958 Morton Feb. 9, 1960 

